Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

13 kept their guns trained on the boy in case of emergency. "Well, what is it you want?" Piccardi ahUetl smoothly. "A joh. I was with Don Rawson in Chicago, but had to beat it sudden like. Not healthy for me there any longer.'' Roy winked an eye, marvelling at the easy, manner in A\hich he was falling into his part. Then he took from his pocket a letter which Mr. Jackson, of the ''Daily Bulletin," had written and concocted for Piccardi's .special benefit, and handed it to the gangster, "A letter of introduction from Rawson. You'll find it okay." Piccardi took the missive and read it through. He had heard of Doti Rawson —one of the most powerful gangsters in Chicago. And Rawson asked him in the letter to take in Danny Holtz. the bearer of the missive, who was a two-gun man. "An acquisition to any racketeer,"' so ended the epistle. "Sounds good enough. I'll take you on." Piccardi handed the letter of in- troduction back to Roy, then turned to liis hirelings, motioning them to let up on their guns. " Boys, meet Danny tfoltz from Chicago. He's going to be one of you." Words of greeting were exchanged, (luring which tiiere again came a knock on the door. But the knock liad a peculiar sound to it. and. without wait- ing for any signal from Piccardi, Ton> Havers went across and opened tfie door. Into the room came Doris White, and at sight of her a pained expression in- stantly came into Roy's brown eyes. So she was friendly with these men—a girl lie liad believed to be clean and good— a girl he had lost his heart to at sight as she had sat out in the restaurant the previous day. A swift glance she gave him. and then she came up to Piccardi and held out her hand, smiling bewitchingly up at him. "Hallo, my dear!" Ho took her out- stretched hand, drew her close to him, and, before them all, kissed her on the h'ps, "So sorry that I'll have to dis- appoint you. but I've some important Just going to have a con- the bovs. Shall we say work to do. ference witl to-morrow ?" "Sure.'; Piccardi smiled and squeezed the hand he held, then a thought suddenly occurred to him. This Danny Holt/. His credentials were all right as far as one could judge. Iiut it would be best to make certain of him before trusting him with any inside secrets. He was in the way at the moment, with such im- portant plans to be discussed, but Doris" presence offered a good way otit. " IjOok here. Doris. I promised you a nice little drive in the country to-night, and I hate to disappoint you." Piccardi indicated Roy with a jeik of the head. "So Danny Holtz here shall take you. You'll find mv tourer in the garage at the back. Suppose \ou can drive. Holtz?" "Sure I can." Though disappointed that he coid<l not start right away to probe into the secrets of this arch-crook. Roy was nevertheless elated at the chance to become really acquainted with the girl. Somehow he felt that she was out of her natural environment—her"^ with these crooks. Perhaps he could persuade her from the crooked path and Then it came to him in a flash that she might know much about I'ic- cardi—sunicient. at least, to put the crook behind prison bars, and with the thought he was all eagerness to bo off with her. "And when shall I report back—you'll want me again to-nighl. huh, boss?" September 26th, 1931. BOY'S CINEMA " To-morrow will do. ■ But get this. You take good care of Miss White. See'^'" Roy nodded, and Piccardi turned back to the girl and kissed her again. " And I" 11 see you to-morrow, Doris, huh ? Perhaps we may do a show—a cabaret or a theatre?" She nodded with ajiparent eagerness, then, with a gay wave of the hand to Piccardi. she went from the room, fol lowed -by Roy. Out to the garage at the back of the premises, where she in- dicated to the yoimgster a comparatively new open tourer. "I'll drive," she told him. and took the wheel while lie clambered in beside her. For some half-hour or so the girl drove in silence, with Roy gazing at her pretty averted face in adoration. Then the hum of the city's traffic was left behind, and they entered a winding country lane with green fields on either side, and the sun, a golden ball, slowly dipping to the West before the ajiproaching night, "I say," Roy ventured suddenly, "it gave mo a bit of a shock when you marched into Piccardi's place to-night.'' "Did it?" Not for a moment did .she take her eyes off the road ahead. "But w hv. may I ask ?" "VVell. .you .see, you—you '" Ro.v hesitated, at a loss to know exactly what to say. "Well, because when I saw you in the restaurant last night it struck me tliat you were a darned nice girl- too good to " Again he broke down, but his words had sent a rosy flush Into Doris White"s cheeks, had caused her heart to beat a trifle faster. "You think I"m too nice to mix with crooks like Piccardi. eh?" Sho looked at him out of the corner of her eyes and smiled as he nodded. "Well, how about yourself? I should think you're too decent to be a crook." Roy did not know what to say to that, so he remained silent. But her next words staggered him. though when thev sank in he realised that they were only to be expected. " .\nd you"re not a crook. I know- that." She saw him start, and looked at him for a long moment with what seemed to him accusing eyes. "You came into Piccardi"s place last nieht with Brady, the cop. You deny it?" "Xo." Now that she suspected him he felt that he could put on a bold front, and his brown eyes met hers un- flinchingly. "But look here. Miss White. Something fells mc vou'rc decent— that-—'' " You're going to give me a lecture- try to get me to run straight, eh?" she interrupted him. " Why ?"' "Becau.se—because I—well, because I rather like you." Roy blustered. She blushed deeper than ever, and in that moment she realised that she re- turned his affection—that here was the one boy in the world for her. "But supposing I"m straight enough— that it is for a very special reason thai I'm friendly with Piccardi." she sai<l. with a whimsical smile. "What then?" "Why. it'd make me happier than I've ever been in my life before," Roy replied with much fervour. Silence again fell between them. Roy watching the girl with longing gaze as she drove on down the country lane. Then suddenly she swung the ear into a side turning, brought it to a standstill outside the gates of a little church, jumped out. and beckoned to him to follow her. IMystified. he did so, and she led him into the churchyard, stop- liing presently hefore a large grave with a massive marble stone rearing at its head. Every Tuesday "There lies all I had in the viorld." There was a catch in her voice and her eyes wore moist with tcara as she pointeil to tho stone. " My mother, my father, and my brother." He bowed his head reverently, moro mystified than ever. That hero was some great calamity in her young lifo was evident, and lie felt deeply sorry for her, "But I don't understand," he said in little more than a whisper. "I'll tell you. My brother, a good enough boy but very easily led, fell 'u with that brute Piccardi. After a whilo he got sick of the whole dirty businos.s and wanted to get out—and ho went out riddled by the bullets from the guns of Piccardi and his men. They were afraid lie'd squeal. I suppose." Her voice very nearly broke, but with an effort she re gained control of herself and brushed the tears from her eyes. "It was a ter- rible blow to mother and father, for they almost worshipped Dick. Poor souls, they pined, and eventually died of broken hearts. Now you can see, of course, why I'm friendly with Piccardi. Revenge—and I'll not rest till——" "And I'm after revenge, too. Doris." Roy told her grimly as .she hesitated. "That brute Piccardi killed my brother. the best and only pal I had in the wide, wide world. Howard was a gangster. though I didn't suspect it-—a rival "of Piccardi's. But that cur shall pay—I"ve sworn it, and you and I'll now work together to bring him to justice." She nodded her head, for she could not trust herself to speak, such was tte torture of her soul as she stood there looking at the gravestone with tear- dimmed eyes. Presently Ro.v touched her arm. gently and tenderly, and moments later the two were back in the car. driving towards the city, the bond of suffering bringing them oven clo.«er together. Denounced. AXOTHEFi meeting of Piccardi's gang and still the master-crook did not see fit to bring Roy into the conference. A letter had been written to Rawson in Chicago, and till such time as an answer was forthcoming guaran teeing Danny HoItz"s credentials bej-ond question. Piceardi wa.s resolved not t'> let him into any secrets connected with the workings of the gang. So Rov had to kick his heels in th> large apartment at (he Blue Dragon while Piccardi and his "boys" repaired to the smaller room to di.=cu.ss their plans. But they had scarce been in there a moment before Roy rose fronn the chesterfield on which he had been sitting and crept stealthily across to Che door, where he applied his ear to the keyhole. An opportunity to learn what coup thev were planning next. If only l>i< could got a line on them and pass the information on to the police they might be caught in the act—ambushed bv tlii police and either killed or captured aiul sent up river to the dread Sing-Sing- there to spend many a long day behiiu! prison bars. And for one at least tlie (,],;,;,._piccardi, if he were taken alive! The boy could hoar the drone of voices bovond the door, but the word* were undistinguishablc. Greatly daring, he caught tlie handle, turned it quietly as he could, and pushed tho door open an inch or two. An eager gleam com- ing into his eyes, ho leaned his head sideways the better to lioar what w;is being said within the small room. Then- it was that the door giving access to the back of the Blue Drugou was softly opened, and Lita Alvaro crept iuto the large apartment.